I'm very new to AI sailing (about six hours so far!) but used to dinghy sail when I was a kid so understand the principal of what I'm trying to do. I find myself in my AI looking to the top of the mast where I used to find a burgee wind direction indicator on my dinghy. I find myself constantly adjusting for the wind direction because I'm not really sure where its coming from. Have I become lazy and reliant on a device that I dont need on an AI or is there a device out there that I can use to tell me where the wind is coming from similar to my burgee of old?

There are a few manufacturers of wind indicators that can be easily attached to the mast.

The only problem would be if you need to reef your sail, but even then it would stay functional for most angles (and even then, you can spin it around). Most are interchangeable for vertical or horizontal mounting - if you decide to mount it on one of the crossbars.

But there's nothing much easier than Bob's recommendation: A long ribbon tied to the end of the batten. Simple. Quick. Inexpensive. And, a good way to distinguish you from other AIs in a race, without putting numbers on the sails. Like jockey colours at the Preakness.

It seems to point fine to the apparent wind direction. I tried it at the top of the mast, but when fully reefing the sail, it sometimes tied itself around the sail when opening the sail (at the most inopportune time)! On the end of the batten, it doesn't seem to do that.

Thanks Bob et al.I did think of this but assumed that the air crossing over the sail would affect the direction of the ribbon. Is that not the case?Pete.

Pete,

I think you're right. When the sail is trimmed properly the ribon tied to it would tend to go straight back. It's a good indication of sail trim but not the best at indicating apparent wind. It would be better if you could tie the ribon to the mast above the sail.